Energy Efficiency

HC Deb 24 January 1995 vol 253 cc107-9W

Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation requiring the provision of(a) adequate heating systems and (b) insulation in domestic buildings.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Part L of the Building Regulations 1991 in England and Wales requires reasonable provision, including insulation and heating controls, to be made for the conservation of fuel and power in new buildings and extensions to existing ones. Revised regulations which come into force on 1 July this year strengthen the provisions of part L and in addition require all new and converted dwellings to be provided with an energy rating based on the standard assessment procedure. The Boiler Efficiency Regulations 1993 require that, when they are placed on the market, gas and oil-fired boilers achieve specified levels of efficiency, These regulations came into force on 1 January last year.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current combined heat and power capacity in the United Kingdom; and what is his target for 2000.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

The Secretary of State for the Environment has set a target of 5,000 MW installed combined heat and power capacity by the year 2000. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 MW CHP is now in operation in the United Kingdom on around 1,100 sites.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made toward reaching his target for increased efficiency of domestic appliances by 2000; and what assessment he has made as to the consistency of such progress with reaching that target.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

The Government have not set specific targets to improve the energy efficiency of domestic appliances but are committed to achieve overall carbon dioxide targets by a variety of approaches including improving appliances. Joint voluntary initiatives with industry, the Energy Saving Trust and my Department's energy efficiency office have resulted in good progress in some sectors and I believe they can be emulated elsewhere. The Government are presently engaged in studies to assess the impact of energy labelling and other policies in each sector.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many grants have been made under the home energy efficiency scheme and of what average value in each year since its formation by local authority area.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

The information is not available in the form requested. The total numbers of grants under the home energy efficiency scheme in Great Britain and their average values, for each financial year since the scheme began, are as follows:

		£
1990–91 (from January 1)	7,582	154
1991–92	167,849	137
1992–93	204,130	150
1993–94	270,148	153
1994–95 (until December 31)	330,751	168

Before 9 December 1993, a contribution from the householder, to a maximum of £16, was required in each case. Since then 100 per cent. grants have been available.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he carried out into the effectiveness of the advertising campaigns he has run in order to encourage greater energy efficiency in the home.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Two advertising campaigns have been run by my Department to promote energy efficiency in the home. The first of these campaigns, "Helping the Earth Begins at Home", now completed, was monitored through a series of interview surveys to track changes in public knowledge, attitudes and energy saving behaviour, over the course of the campaign. The second campaign. "Wasting Energy Costs the Earth", is currently under way and is subject to a similar programme of monitoring research.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in tightening building regulations since the publishing of "Climate Change: The UK Programme"; what assessment he has made as to achieving the energy-saving target set out in the document; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Revised building regulations for the conservation of fuel and power were laid before Parliament last year. They come into force on 1 July. It is estimated that the improved provisions will save about 250,000 tonnes of carbon per year by the turn of the century, with significantly greater savings in the longer term.